Remember that new ion propulsion rocket that could slash the time it takes to travel from Earth to Mars to just 39 days? According to AFP, NASA plans to center its future strategy around MIT scientist Franklin Chang-Diaz’s design, called the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR), according to AFP.

We’ve also got some more specifics on how the rocket works. VASIMR uses electricity to transform fuels like hyrodgen, helium, or deuterium into plasma gas, which is then heated to 51.8 million degrees Fanrenheit and sent into tailpipes via magnetic fields, the report said. The rocket will be capable of reaching speeds of 35 miles per second (126,000 miles per hour).

NASA worked on the design along with Ad Astra and Canadian firm Nautel. NASA plans to contract with more private firms as it reels in costs following the Obama Administration’s cuts to its Constellation program, which would have returned humans to the moon by the end of the decade. Chang-Diaz is planning for an orbital deployment by the end of 2013, according to the report, and is already working with private space firms SpaceX and Orbital geek-cetera Corporation. (Image credit: Ad Astra)